


the equal of family

by LiveLaughLovex



Series: dare to dance [5]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Gen, Post-Episode: s10e04 Ukuli'i Ka Pua Onaona I Ka Mau'u
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-24 00:47:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21090581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveLaughLovex/pseuds/LiveLaughLovex
Summary: "It really was good to be home, surrounded once again by the ridiculousness that frequented the family she’d assembled for herself. There really was no other place that came even close."Post s10e04. Kono is pulled away from her paperwork on the last day of work following the whole North Korea debacle by her former team.





	the equal of family

**Author's Note:**

> “Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family." - Mario Puzo

As much as Kono loved her new position as a Detective Sergeant, there were some downsides to the promotion, as well. Like, for example, the fact that she was still behind her desk at nine o’clock on a Friday night, playing catchup with the paperwork she’d been unable to finish during the week.

She was finishing up with the final few pages when a knock on the door drew her attention. “Hi, Danny,” she greeted distractedly, jotting her signature on the dotted line before placing the pen down and giving her friend her full attention. “What’s up?”

“What’s up is that you’re doing paperwork,” Danny replied slowly. “At nine o’clock on a _Friday_. This just might make you more pathetic than Steve, Kalakaua. I mean, I hate to even_ imply_ that, but…”

“Hey, I’m not here willingly,” she defended herself weakly. “This all has to be done by Monday morning, and I don’t plan on coming in this weekend unless there’s no other option. I would also like to point out that _you_ have nothing better to do on this Friday night than come and mock me in my place of work.”

“I’m not just here to bug you. I’m here to kidnap you,” he informed her. “You haven’t been out with the team all week, which is just depressing, because we’re the only people in your social circle.”

“You so aren’t,” she retorted with a laugh. “But whatever, I’ve missed you guys too.” She perused the last page, signed at the bottom, and then stacked the paperwork neatly, placing it in the basket on the corner of her desk. “There. Done. Where’re we going?” she questioned, grabbing her purse from under the desk and slipping it onto her shoulder.

“Tropics,” Danny informed her, following her from the room and waiting while she locked up. “Where’s everybody else?” he questioned, glancing around the empty bullpen.

“They are at home, like sane people,” Kono replied promptly. “I sent them home at five. I don’t think any of them got more than eight hours of sleep combined this week, so I took mercy on them.”

“Right, the gang war. You know, Steve was very proud of you for finding your way out of that one.”

“It wasn’t as hard as it looked,” Kono admitted. “He’s talked himself out of much worse with much less.”

“Yes, well, he’s also insane,” Danny pointed out, speaking as if it was a fact. To be fair, he probably thought it was. “Please don’t cross that line completely.”

“I’ll do my best,” she promised amusedly.

-o-

Their usual table at the bar was already filled with the others when she arrived, walking out onto the patio just moments before Danny.

“He actually managed to pull you away?” Steve questioned, gesturing to the empty chair across to him. He ignored the roll of her eyes and slid one of the unopened bottles in front of him over to her. “How’re things going at work?” he asked curiously, taking a pull from his own beer as he waited for her answer.

“Well, I haven’t encountered any North Korean spies recently.” She popped off the lid, then took a sip. “Glad to see you all lived to tell that tale. And that, you know, we’re not being attacked from all angles.”

“Yeah. Turns out Aaron Wright’s occasionally useful,” Lou commented begrudgingly. “Who would’ve thought?”

“It physically pained you to say that, didn’t it?” Kono questioned with an arched brow. “Admitting he’s useful doesn’t mean you think he’s in any way a decent person. You’re good, Grover.”

“You’re looking remarkably put together for someone who just had a member of the Samoan gang in their face, threatening to kill them.” Danny shrugged when she shot him a disbelieving look. “There’re more gossips within HPD than you’d imagine.”

“It’s hardly the first time someone’s threatened to kill me, Danny,” she pointed out, accepting a fry from the basket Steve held out to her. “And he’s going to spend the next twenty-five years of his life in prison. I’m not really worried.”

The Jersey native pointed an accusatory finger at his partner. “You see? This, right here, is what I was so worried about when you two started hanging out outside of work. You’ve rubbed off on her. She has no sense of self-preservation anymore.”

Steve shrugged. “She seems sane to me.”

“Oh, of course she seems sane to you.” Danny shook his head exasperatedly, glancing around the table. “I’ve surrounded myself with a bunch of trigger-happy risk-takers. This, right here, is why my pressure’s always so high.”

“I think that’s just a facet of your personality, buddy,” Steve remarked helpfully, artfully dodging the slice of lemon thrown at his head. 

“Okay, children,” Lou said sternly, “no food fights. This is a civilized establishment you’re in.” He shook his head, muttering something about having already raised his kids under his breath that Kono couldn’t help but smile at.

“So,” Kono began, glancing over at Quinn, “sounds like you had a pretty eventful first day.”

“I did, yes,” Quinn agreed. “We were keeping score, though, and we can’t decide where it ranks on the list. Pretty sure it’s somewhere between almost getting run over by your boss in a semi and having to be lifted out of a burning forest by a helicopter.”

“Hey, Danny got shot on his first day. Got shot, then punched Steve in front of about two dozen cops.” Kono tipped her bottle in her blond friend’s direction. “Despite the many ways in which he denies it, that partnership was destined.”

“Next time, I’ll leave you to your paperwork,” the detective in question threatened half-heartedly.

“No, you won’t. You don’t think I have a life,” Kono reminded him. “And it’s an untrue and frankly insulting assumption, but…”

“He made me go to a dog park. To pick up women,” Steve reminded her from the other side of the table. “At least he hasn’t gotten to that point with you.”

“And now you have a date with a vet,” Danny pointed out. “See how that works? You’re welcome.”

“I have a date with a vet because one of the women at that dog park had a - a _vicious_ dog that sunk its teeth so deep into Eddie that he’s got to wear a cone for the next few weeks. A _cone_, Danny. It’s doing things to his self-esteem, I’m telling you.”

“He’s survived _war_, Steve. I highly doubt a _cone’s _screwing with his head.” Danny heaved a sigh that suggested he was nearing his breaking point when it came to his partner.

“You don’t know that.”

“I think I do know that, because it’s common sense. Sense not common enough for you, apparently…”

“Okay, you two, don’t make me put you in separate corners,” Kono warned lightly. “I’m sure Eddie’s appropriately traumatized, but he’ll get over it. He might take issue with you dating his doctor, though.”

“He wouldn’t let me leave the parking lot until I went back in,” Steve informed her.

Kono narrowed her eyes slightly. “Yeah, that dog’s weird.”

“Yes, he is,” Danny agreed immediately. “Example one – he chose Steve to be his owner. _Willingly_.”

“Steve believes in feeding him whole ribeyes,” Tani remarked. “I’d pick him, too.”

“Thank you, Tani.” Steve turned back to his partner. “See? Makes total sense.”

“I… I don’t know what to do with that,” Danny replied defeatedly. “I give up. You’ve all been lost to the insanity.”

Kono didn’t even _attempt _to bite back her smirk that time. It really was good to be home, surrounded once again by the ridiculousness that frequented the family she’d assembled for herself. There really was no other place that came even close.

-o-

“So,” Kono began, falling into step beside Steve as they made their way to the parking lot. Everyone else had already left about ten minutes earlier. “I heard the bomb used to blow up Cullen was pretty similar to the one he tried to use to blow _you_ up.”

Steve nodded. “Definitely made by the same person,” he confirmed. “He was involved in a lot of shady business deals. Seems one of the people he was partnering up with wasn’t all that thrilled he decided to piss off local cops.”

“First rule of being a criminal, isn’t it? Don’t go after cops; it draws too much attention.” Kono unlocked her car as they drew nearer. “Well, if any of these shady people are involved in gangs, feel free to call. I will gladly help you out.”

“I might take you up on that,” he replied, closing her door behind her after she’d climbed inside. “Drive safe, okay?” he advised.

“Yeah, you too,” Kono returned, fastening her seatbelt. “And Steve? I was serious about calling.”

“I know,” he assured her. “I will.”

“Okay,” Kono nodded, eyeing him a moment more before turning the key in the ignition. “Good night, Steve.”

“Good night, Kono.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea how the weeks unfold on this show, because I stopped figuring out its timeline long ago, but I'm saying that this takes place two or so days after the events of the last episode, so do with that information what you like.


End file.
